


Deliver The Harbinger

by LucianaVeradan



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s), Other, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-08-09 11:37:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16449212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucianaVeradan/pseuds/LucianaVeradan
Summary: Follow the story of Orion Teras as she moves through the struggles of being a teacher at Beacon, and how she deals with the stress of looking after Team RWBY. [[This is a slow burn and follows the RWBY volumes closely]]





	1. The First Days

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Do you think the students this year will be promising?”

“Of course. I even hear that one of them got let in early.”

“Really? Do you know her name, Bart?”

“Ruby Rose.”

.

.

.

“Well damn.”

 

Looking over the student registry for my class this year, I can’t help but sigh. There were a handful of names I recognized from outside sources. The only one I was concerned about was Ruby. Being relatively close to her parents, I had met her several times throughout her life but I hadn’t seen her extremely recently. My work outside of school had me too busy to keep up consistent contact. The only one I had talked to in the last few months was Qrow, and even that was brief.

I hear my scroll buzz with a reminder to attend the orientation ceremony for the new students, a recommendation by Oz to familiarize myself with all of the new faces, “Great, another chance to listen to him deliver an awkward speech.” Heading out into the hall, I make my way towards the main auditorium and soon the cacophony of excited voices hits my ears. Keeping to the edges of the hall, I try to pick out a couple specific faces to memorize. The first was a tall, red headed girl wearing what seemed to be an ornate gold crown. She gave off an aura of experience that few around her shared. The second was a boy with dusty brown hair, looking bored and exuding an air of arrogance. Suddenly I felt a pair of eyes trained on me and looked around for the source, my wings tensing reflexively.

As Ozpin started his speech, I finally located who was staring so intently. A fidgeting, yellow eyed girl trying to hide her gaze so poorly it was almost endearing. I smile softly, noticing the suspicious bow on top of her head, and nod at her when she looks back my way. She quickly looks back at Oz, and I continue to scan the faces in the crowd.

After his speech ends, I walk towards the stairs at the end of the stage, “That speech was as awkward as ever, Ozpin.”

“I was being honest, Orion. I was also trying to be encouraging to the right people.”

“Of course you were. I’m not doubting that, but there’s a chance it may be misinterpreted. But that’s not the main point of this conversation. I spotted some people of interest during orientation. Hopefully they’re not interesting for the wrong reasons.”

He smiles, “I’m sure they won’t be.”

I nod and head back to my office, giving a small wave to Glynda as they walk off together. Lingering first-years clear a path as I walk through, several murmuring to themselves,

“Whoa, are those real?”

“I think so...she’s so scary.”

“Shhh! She can probably hear us! What if she’s part of the White Fang, do you want to end up like those protestors?”

Silence falls as I stop and turn to look at them, “If you’re worried about me being dangerous to your health, there’s no need. Not until you’re taking my class, that is. Also, if you treat a Faunus Teacher with this much caution, it distresses me to think of how you’ll treat your fellow classmates.” With that I walk quickly through the door to my office and close it, letting out a shaky breath.

“It never…..never gets easier.” I place my hands against the cool, smooth wood of my desk and try to calm the tremors coursing through my arms.

“They’re just kids. They hardly understand how to stand up for themselves let alone how their words impact others. That’s what you’re here for….that’s why you teach, Orion.” I look at myself in the reflection of the window. My chair creaks as I sit down, starting to go over my syllabus for the tenth time, thinking about what the results might be at the end of the day tomorrow.

 

The next morning, I step into the teachers lounge.

“Good morning, Professor Teras!”

“Good morning Bartholomew, how are you?”

“Quite well, especially since today we’ll be learning what teams we’ll get this year.”

“I just hope Peter doesn’t go on one of his infamous first day rants again.”

“Did someone say my name?” I turn towards the door as the man himself walks in.

“Peter, good morning. How are you?”

“Swell, my dear! Might I say you’re looking quite ravishing today.”

“Not going to happen, Peter.” I roll my eyes and smile before pulling up the trial ground feed.

“Yes, aren’t you aware of her obsession with Mr. Branwen?” Bart says matter-of-factly while Peter starts laughing and I let out a sigh.

“I wouldn’t call it an obsession, personally. An obsession would be stalking him. We’re friends, and on top of that his semblance is fascinating. You both know he’s the main reason I do what I do.”

“Which is most certainly why you lose the ability to speak full sentences when he’s around” I send a half-hearted glare Peter’s way before making myself a cup of hot cocoa.

 

After the trial concludes, Peter, Bart and I head to the main auditorium to see the team assignments. As each group of students got called up, I keep an eye out for Ruby and Yang, curious as to who would end up the leader of their little band. Finally my question was answered as Oz read off their names.

“Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. You will form Team RWBY, led by...Ruby Rose.” From the look on her face, I could tell that she wasn’t expecting to be given the role. They leave the stage and the ceremony goes on. I move over to the side of the room that they’re on.

“Ruby, Yang!” I smile as I walk over to them, “Congratulation on your team assignment.” It takes them a moment to remember who I am.

“Wait…. Miss Teras? Oh man, we haven’t seen you in forever!” Yang grins.

“Oh my gosh! What are you doing here? Are you a teacher? Are we gonna be taking your class?” I hold up my hand to slow Ruby down, “Yes, I teach here. Actually, you’re all in my class and I’m looking forward to seeing you all use your skills up close. Try not to be late, alright?” I look over all four of them, taking note of the looks I’m getting from Weiss and Blake. Before leaving, I give both Ruby and Yang a gentle pat on the shoulder, trying my best not to seem too formal. As I walk away, I hear them start to chat amongst themselves.

“She seems…..nice. I’m just glad she seems like a proper teacher.”

“Oh, she’s great. When we were younger, she would babysit Ruby and I.”

“Yeah! She used to fly us around and stuff!”

The only thing I hear clearly from Blake is the word ‘faunus’ and I smile to myself, finally getting excited for the first day of classes.

 

I stare at the empty rows of desks, early for my own class. “I’ve been teaching for years and yet I never lose the nerves….” Murmuring to myself as I place papers at the ends of each row, I double-check the questions I have on there. Name, semblance, year at Beacon, plus what each student wants to improve on with their semblance. The only thing missing is a space to write down any questions they have for me. I’ll have to make sure to mention that at the beginning of class. Before any students arrive, I write down the semester’s schedule on the blackboard along with some notes on the basic history of aura and semblances. I look at the chalk in my hand, flashing back a late night in the library with Tai, Raven and Qrow. I managed to convince them to let me talk about my theories on semblances. They told me later that I sounded like a mad scientist but at the time, I was proud of my research. It’s hard to believe it’s been so long. But before I can reminisce any more, students start shuffling in. I lean against my desk, going over my course plan for the day once more as they talk amongst themselves. With the clock ticking ever closer to nine o’clock, I pull out the attendance sheet and look around the room, not seeing any members of team RWBY or team JNPR. Just as I start to call names, both groups rush in through the door in time with the bell, “Welcome to class. Please take your seats so I can call roll.” I wait until all of them are seated before proceeding with the list. Thankfully, no one is absent on the first day which makes my job that much easier.

“Now that that’s done and over with, let me introduce myself. My name is Professor Orion Teras and I’ll be your Semblance History and Usage teacher for the next year. I urge all of you to take this class seriously. Some of the things I’ll be talking about could get you out of life-or-death situations. But first, I’d like to get to know all of you better. In front of all of you should be a short questionnaire; if you’d all fill that out and hand it in at the end of class, that would be fantastic. Oh, before I forget, if you have any questions about me or this course in general please write them at the bottom of the page. I’ll be answering some of them during our next class.” I watch as they start to fill out the sheet, some of the older students looking at each other slightly confused. Once everyone finishes, I begin my lecture.


	2. Bravery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orion decides to take things up a notch in her class. But will the results be what she expected?

 

With the Vytal Festival approaching at the end of the school year, I decide to divide the history portion into two sections, with the second part beginning at the start of next semester. I step off of the elevator, clearing my throat to grab Oz’s attention, “Ah, Orion. How is your class going?”

“As smoothly as it can, Oz. Although I have a request regarding the material.”

“You know your research better than I do-”

“It’s not about my research, it’s about the Vytal Festival. I’d like to push the training portion up a few weeks in order to get the students more prepared for the tournament. Would that be alright with you?” He pauses for a moment before answering.

“Do what you think to be best for the students, Orion. I trust your judgement on this. But be honest for a second, were you going to do this regardless of what I said?”

I smile, “You know me too well, Ozpin.” I then head back into the elevator and return to the main part of campus.

 

“Welcome to the training grounds, students. This area of campus is strictly for our class to use, whether it be for outside training or scheduled lessons with me. From now on, we will be meeting one team at a time here, to hone your skills outside of basic combat. This will be the norm until after the Vytal Festival, when we’ll resume the lecture style class.” I look around the cluster of students. “Now, which team would like to go first?” A hand shoots up and I was honestly more surprised than I should have been. “Looks like Team RWBY is stepping up to the plate. Before we begin, I’ll explain the point of this exercise. I want the four of you to use your semblances to play off of each others strengths and weaknesses in order to beat me in a fight.”

“Seriously? But you’re a fully trained huntress! How are we supposed to beat you?”

“Get creative, Weiss. Trust that your teammates have your back.”

I step onto the field, picking my bow up from it’s resting place on one of the benches along the perimeter. The four girls arrange themselves along the other side of the middle line, chattering amongst themselves, no doubt coming up with a patchwork strategy. 

“There are two ways you can try to win this. Either get my aura down to the red, or knock me off of the field. Just remember, I can win the same way. Begin when you are ready.” I drag my foot across the ground, staring straight at them as I pull the string back, taking aim. As Ruby charges, I open my mouth, forming an arrow and releasing my hand, letting it slam into the ground below her, knocking her skyward. I block Yang’s fist before jumping into the air, unleashing another volley towards Weiss. Blake throws her grapple towards me but I fly higher, keeping out of her range. A bullet whizzes past my face and I pull my head out of the way, hearing my aura crackle slightly.

“Nice one, Ruby!” Yang shouts.

I take a deep breath and let out an ear-splitting scream, the air warping from the pressure of the sound and dust whipping around violently. Weiss and Ruby lose their footing and tumble backwards, with Blake and Yang sliding back but staying standing. I use this opportunity to dive towards Yang, kicking her across the field. I then slam the blunt side of my bowblade into Blakes stomach, knocking her to the ground. As I start walking towards Weiss and Ruby, I hear a yell from behind me and turn around just in time to dodge Yang’s attack. Wind whips past me with every side-stepped strike, while I block shots from both Ruby and Blake. I knock Yang back, exhausting her energy and parrying Weiss’s attack when she charges me before hooking my leg around her knee, throwing her to the ground. Ruby flings herself at me, allowing for an easy kick to the ribs before I shoot another round of arrows at Blake, knocking her out of the field.

“Match over!”

 

I stare down at the four of them, Ruby collapsed on the ground, Weiss and Blake bracing themselves on their knees, and Yang holding her side. “There’s very obviously a disconnect between you girls. You each have your individual strengths but the trust between teammates has yet to manifest.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, “What I would recommend is just….opening up to each other. There are clearly secrets being kept by some members of the team that are keeping barriers strong. I’d like for you all to meet with me after class so that we can plan more training sessions, please.” They nod, glancing between themselves, no doubt wondering who I was mentioning. “Keep in mind, this isn’t just an issue of newly formed teams. Even people that have been together for years can suddenly splinter apart due to a new development, long-seeded issues never mentioned before or a teammate dying. Now, we have time for one more team. Who would like to go next?”  Understandably, the remaining teams are more reluctant now that they’ve seen what the sparring session will be like. “If no one volunteers, I’ll have to pick a group and we all know how much you dislike that method.” This prompts a couple of hands to go up, albeit reluctantly. “Let’s see….I think Team CRDL had their hands up first. You know the drill.”

 

It’s not a surprise to me when each member goes down quickly, what with Cardin hitting them around in order to try and land a blow on me. I turn to the other students, “While our peers are recovering, does anyone want to try and pick out something they did wrong? Yes, Pyrrha?”

“Their leader allowed himself to get pulled into the fight, hitting his teammates in the process.”

“Correct, that was one of the main issues of this fight. For now Cardin, Russel, Sky, Dove…. please work on your basic flow. You try to use brute force to get through every obstacle, but when you hit a wall too tough to shatter, what will you do?” I pause for a moment, allowing time for the words to either sink in or slide off. “That’s all for today. Class dismissed. Team RWBY, please stay behind so I can talk with you.”

“Girls, you did better than I expected in that fight. I think you’re all well on your way to becoming professional Huntresses, but I’d still like to take extra time outside of class to work on a few things. Starting next week, you’ll be meeting with me after Professor Port’s class on Fridays. I hope that isn’t too terribly inconvenient for any of you?”

“No ma’am, we’ll be there.” I laugh, smiling at Ruby.

“Ma’am? Now if only I could get Port to treat me with that level of respect!”

“Is it because you’re a faunus?”

“I doubt it, Blake. He’s just rather old-fashioned. Can’t stand being shown up by someone younger than him. That’s what I thought at first too, but then he came to me for advice when he noticed a faunus student being bullied. Sometimes, we can become so focused on the hatred that we see enemies everywhere, but I hope that you all realize that your teachers here would do anything to keep you safe so don’t hesitate to come to us when things get hard. Now go get some rest, and food. You all did very well today.” 

  
  


In the weeks that have passed, I’ve noticed consistent improvement in teamwork and semblance usage in each team that I’ve been working with. The only students I’m starting to worry about are Jaune and Blake. Jaune went from being motivated during training sessions to completely void of energy and not meshing with his team anymore, and Blake is still struggling to open up to her team. “No matter what year….there are still difficult students.” I sigh, resting my head in my hands for a moment before hearing a knock on my office door. “Come on in.” Folding my hands in front of me, I watch expectantly for the knob to start turning. To my surprise, Blake walks in, closing the door gently behind her.

“Blake, it’s good to see you. Take a seat, what can I help you with?”

It takes her a few seconds to take a breath and look me in the eye, “What was it like being a faunus at this school? How did your team react?”

“Blake-”

“Were they scared of you? Did they treat you differently? What about the teachers?”

“Blake, slow down….What is this about? We both know I know about your secret, are you thinking about telling the truth to your team?” Her silence is the only answer I receive. “Well, I’ll tell you how I handled it and maybe you’ll find your answer there. When I enrolled at Beacon, the Faunus Revolution was a lot fresher in people’s minds than it is today. The moment I stepped off of that ship, I felt everyone’s eyes on me but I couldn’t hide behind anything. It was….absolutely terrifying. No one talked to me for the entirety of orientation, including the other faunus students. We didn’t want to seem like we were scheming so we stayed away from each other. When it came time for initiation, I was convinced that no one would pair up with me but then Laurel showed up and pulled me along with her, an Ursa right behind us. The look on her face was priceless. Then along came Penelope and Aspen and Team OPAL was formed. Pretty convenient, huh?” She smiles and I continue talking, “Anyways, as the year rolled on, they were really the only friends I managed to snag. But then something incredible happened. Qrow Branwen, a known troublemaker around the school, showed up to class wearing a skirt of all things! He didn’t even realize what was wrong until someone explained it to him. All I managed to say was that it looked good on him before I started to laugh, but after that I started getting roped into more and more of their shenanigans and before I knew it I had four more friends. And the best part about it was that none of them cared about me being a faunus. They just enjoyed me for me, and I know your teammates feel the same way. It’s going to be scary, don’t get me wrong, but you’re strong. Just do it when you feel ready.”

“Thank you, Professor.” She stands to leave, “This helped a lot.”

I walk around my desk and place a hand on her shoulder, pausing for a moment before removing it, “If you ever need anything, let me know. You deserve to succeed as much as anyone else here.” Blake nods and walks out of my office, looking more relaxed than when she came in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the fight seemed a little wonky. I'm still not very good at writing them so I hope you'll all be patient with me in the upcoming chapters!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story posted on here so I hope everyone likes it! Or if you don't, leave some suggestions as to how I can improve it!


End file.
